WA prepare for last round of the AFL U18s Championships Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - 12:27 PM

Western Australia’s U18s side will be looking to bounce back from Friday night’s loss to Victoria Country, when they take on Victoria Metro on Sunday. 

The Black Swans lost by just two points to Vic Country in front of a home crowd at the WACA, but coach Ben Dyer impressed with his players’ efforts. 

“We didn’t start the game well, but we were able to change a few things to get us back into the contest, Dyer explained. 

The changes at three-quarter time saw WA close in on Vic Country. 

“We talked about the way that we could make it harder for them to exit our forward 50 and a little bit about how we needed the stoppages to look,” Dyer said. 

WA’s Clay Hall led in the midfield, having run with Vic Country star and number 1 draft prospect, Harley Reid. Hall amassed 26 disposals, six clearances and nine tackles. 

Versatile player Daniel Curtin was valuable in defence and capitalised on stints in the midfield, finishing the game with 23 disposals, 11 marks and one goal. 

“Daniel Curtin’s goal from the boundary to get us within two points was pretty special given the context of the game at that point, Dyer said. 

WA play Victoria Metro at RSEA Park, Victoria on Sunday 9 July at 12.15pm AWST. The game is live streamed on AFL.com.au